Asparagus. What is it, how to cook and what to eat?

It so happened that this vegetable has not yet gained great popularity with us. It is quite available in stores, it’s easy to cook, many recipes are offered. But again and again we prefer the more familiar tomatoes and cucumbers. Perhaps because we don’t know anything about these green roots? So, asparagus. What it is?

The same asparagus

Although asparagus is not very popular with us, it has been grown and used for various purposes (as food, as medicine, as a decoration for bouquets) for several thousand years. Surely you saw in the decorated bouquets a green twig that looked like a Christmas tree. This is asparagus.

Its main features are seasonality and the need to eat fresh food. It is not recommended to store asparagus in the refrigerator for more than 2 days. It is possible to freeze asparagus, but preferably in a finished (boiled) form.

As an asparagus vegetable, the photo of which you see below, there are three varieties:

• Green The most common, is going all year round.

• White. It is collected from March to June. Due to the complexity of collection and seasonality, it has a higher price, but its taste is more tender than that of green.

• Violet. A rare variety with a specific and bitter aftertaste. During cooking, changes color to green.

There is also the so-called Korean or soy asparagus. What it is? This product (fuju, fuju, soy sticks) is made from soy milk and is not a vegetable under consideration.

What is useful in asparagus?

1. Asparagus contains potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, vitamins A, B1, B2, B9, C, E, PP.
2. Asparagine lowers blood pressure and strengthens the heart.
3. Coumarins improve the condition of blood vessels and blood coagulation.
4. Saponins improve the secretion of glands, remove mucus from the bronchi and thin the sputum.
5. Carotenes provide cancer prevention.
6. Folic acid makes the skin beautiful, prevents hair loss and gray hair.
7. Asparagus juice helps get rid of swelling and warts, prevents the formation of cellulite.
8. Asparagus is believed to be a good aphrodisiac.

And this is not a complete list of its useful properties.

What's so good about that?

Some people do not understand why there is so much noise around such an ordinary thing like asparagus. What is it they know. We bought, prepared, but found nothing special in it. Most likely, the reason for the disappointment is that the cooking rules were not followed.

How to cook asparagus at home so as not to be disappointed in its taste?

First, asparagus stalks are washed with cool water. Then you need to cut off the bottom, about 1/3. At this point, the color of the stem is usually slightly lighter. Actually, this can also be eaten, but the fact is that the lower part is quite rigid, while the upper is distinguished by tenderness.

Further, asparagus can be boiled in water and steamed, fried in a pan, cooked in a microwave, but there is one important rule - it can not be overexposed on fire. Otherwise, the asparagus will get an unpleasant color and become too soft.

The second important rule: if you plan to consume asparagus in a cold form, it should be cooled quickly. For example, rinse after cooking under running cold water.

In the microwave

Put 5-6 stems on a microwave plate, preferably rectangular. Add a couple tablespoons of water. Cover the plate with cling film and make a small hole in it to allow steam to escape. Send the asparagus into the microwave and set the timer for 2.5-3 minutes. No longer worth it. Of course, the longer you cook the asparagus, the more tender it will be, but you will hardly like overcooked asparagus.

In the pan

Heat the pan, pour vegetable oil (well, if olive), put the asparagus and fry over medium heat until it acquires the degree of softness that you like. You can add spices.

In the pan

Boil water in a saucepan, lay out the stalks of asparagus and cook until soft. As soon as the asparagus is tender, drain the water. If you leave the stems in the water, they will be digested. White asparagus is boiled for about 10-15 minutes, green - 5-8 minutes. It is better to arrange the stems in a pan so that the tops are not covered with water.

In a double boiler

Everything is similar. Boil water, put asparagus in a special container and cook until soft.

Ideally, cooked asparagus should be slightly crispy. It can be used both as an independent dish (seasoned with melted butter or some sauce), and as a side dish, as well as in other dishes (soups, salads and even desserts).

Contraindications

Unfortunately, not everyone can eat asparagus. Avoid this vegetable in the following cases.

1. A stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer, as well as other serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
2. Cystitis.
3. Joint rheumatism.
4. Prostatitis.
5. Individual intolerance.

So, we figured out a bit where the asparagus came from, what it is and why to eat it. Now is the time to go to the kitchen, get an unfamiliar, but exotic vegetable bought in an unclear outburst from the refrigerator, and make the familiar home menu more varied and interesting.